


ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴅᴇ ᴏғ ɪsɪs | ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏɴᴇ

by KIERRA_J_WELLS



Series: The Houses Of Egypt Saga [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Blood, Death, High Fantasy, Magic, Murder, Mythological Fantasy, Profanity, Violence, War, Young Adult Fiction/YA Fiction, action-adventure, dark themes, fantasy worlds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25375780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KIERRA_J_WELLS/pseuds/KIERRA_J_WELLS
Summary: || The Houses Of Egypt Saga ||In 30 BCE the world of ancient Egypt fell to the past. Fearing that they too would fall, the gods of Egypt gathered and opened a door to the world of magic known as Althira.As Althira changed with the introduction of the gods of Egypt, the houses were created and their lives were intwined with the gods they represent.But now a war is brewing between two gods and their respective houses.With the world of Althira becoming a war zone, houses are forced to pick sides - as well as the gods...-Illyan Evanoire is the heiress to The House Of Isis. With her destiny set before her, Illyan practices her magic in hopes of mastery.But, when the war takes a turn and Illyan and her older sister Irra must flee Althira, they take refuge in modern day America.Then, they find one who was thought to have lost long ago - one who was hidden -One who was safe...
Series: The Houses Of Egypt Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837639





	1. PROLOGUE

Battles had ravaged the kingdom of ancient Egypt. Many had fallen and their bodies laid in the desert sand, waiting to move on into the afterlife. The scent of blood filled the air as the wind blew it around along with grainy bits of sand. Groaning sounds of the dying soldiers echoed across the landscape. 

Watching over this carnage were the Gods. Particularly the Sun God, Ra. His head taking the form of a falcon and a solar disc upon his head. He gazed out into his world, the world he truly ruled over, a look of despair and disgust in his eyes.

With one last look, Ra turned his back to the fallen kingdom and headed towards the Temple Of The Gods to speak with the others about their next move. He knew that they would need to take action, but what that action would be was something he didn't have a clue about.

As he followed the path of the sun, Ra's falcon headed form began to morph into a man's in his late twenties. His deep black colored hair cut cleanly on the top of his head. His eyes were the same pale golden color as before.

He walked in silence, his thoughts jumping from one scenario to another. Then the silent atmosphere was broken by the bickering of his fellow gods.

"When will they stop this," Ra muttered inside his head as he approached the doors of the temple. The guards noticed their king approaching and immediately stood at attention and moved out of his path. Ra gave them a curt nod before the doors swung open on their own and he walked inside 

The temple was golden and shimmered in the eternal sunlight that bathed the rooms through large windows and skylights high above them. The scent of the place was one of a summer morning and a gentle breeze blew through the temple, gently cooling off those who reside.

Yet, while the appearance would suggest an air of silence, the sounds of yelling and arguments filled the temple instead. Ra made his way through the temple's anti chamber, his destination being the throne room. Which, unfortunately, was were all of the arguing and yelling between the gods was coming from.

As the golden doors that were etched with the symbol of life, an Ankh, swung open to reveal a young woman with long black hair and green eyes ready to attack a man with similar black hair and eyes that looked to match his hair. The woman held a staff in her hand and was ready for a fight, while the man held a dagger.

"Isis! Set! Enough!" Ra's voice boomed across the room as all the heads of all of the room's occupants shot to look at their king who had been standing there all along. His aura one of great power and seemed to imitate the sun's golden rays themselves.

The two siblings looked at Ra with a hatred in their eyes, yet they did as he had commanded, lest they anger him even further than they have already. Relaxing ever so slightly, the woman, Isis, moved to stand protectively next to her husband and other brother, Osiris. She obviously didn't trust her brother Set at all and was deeply worried for her beloved Osiris's safety due to the history the two brothers have had.

A man that appeared to have dark brown hair that was almost black and pale green-blue eyes walked over to Ra. He held a scroll in his hand and looked at his king with an expression of sadness on his face.

"Thoth," Ra began as he noticed the god of wisdom's presence. The sun god looked over his advisor and took in his features. He was looking distraught as he realized that they would have to leave behind Egypt, less they too would fade away to the past.

"King Ra, we must leave Egypt," Thoth said carefully, his voice light and airy as he spoke, yet he held a note of certainty and authority in his voice. He truly was the god of wisdom. Ra glanced back towards the kingdom of his that had fallen and then back to his godly kingdom that was also beginning to fall.

"I believe you are right, Thoth," he muttered before turning to his council and giving them a look of determination. He stood up straight and radiated the light of the sun. The warm feeling of his sunlight swept across the room, calming the tensions of the Gods slightly.

"We will start a new kingdom and it will thrive for many years to come!" He announced to the gods and goddesses that were assembled. Then he turned back to Thoth, his light dimming a little bit before becoming a dull glow around his form. "Do you know where we may rebuild Thoth?" Ra asked a note of hopelessness etching it's way into his voice.

"I have found a world beyond this one, it has magic that protects it, I believe we can settle there," Thoth responded, his voice remaining calm and collected as he spoke. He looked down at his scroll before lifting he head back up. "It is called Althira."

"Do they already have gods?" Ra asked as he contemplated the prospect of moving to this new world. He looked at Thoth with a straight face and kept his voice straight as well. Thoth took another glance at his scroll before shaking his head.

"No your highness, they never did," he replied with a small smile gracing his features. Ra gave a pleased look to Thoth before he turned to Isis. The goddess tensed as she knew that Ra was distrustful of her do the circumstances of her birth and of her existence.

"Isis," Ra said in a voice that held a subtle hint of venom in them. His eyes watching her every move as she stood before him. "Can you open a portal to this new world?" He asked the young goddess. Isis thought for a moment before looking at her hands and then back towards Osiris.

"I might be able to," Isis replied we a bit of hesitation in her tone of voice. She then added a "Your highness" to the end of her reply, not wanting to be seen as disrespectful to the godly king. Isis then have a quick bow to Ra, before hurrying off to find a scroll with a spell to open the portal.

"Very good," Ra muttered. He gave a nod to Thoth and then gestured for him to go help Isis. Next, he turned to the rest of the council once more and gave them a small smile before putting on a straight face again. "Go and gather the other gods and share the news. We leave as soon as we can!" He announced before turning to gather his things, mostly offerings made by the Egyptians when they came to him for help for something.

As Ra and the other gods did their duties, Isis was looking through her magic scroll, hoping to find the spell she would need to open the portal. A soft sigh escaped her pale lips as she finished looking through a case filled with scrolls. 

The room she was in was like a giant library with shelves and cases filled with scrolls. The ceiling was in the shape of a pyramid and there were multiple floors of the room. There was barely an inch of the room that was clear of scrolls and cases.

There was a scent of paper and ink filling the air of the room and it was pleasantly warm as well. The floors were made of stone, yet a large plain rug sat in the middle of the floor with a lounge chair and wooden table on top of it.

"Well, it's not there either," Isis grumbled before she turned to another case of scrolls. Behind her, faint footsteps could be heard walking across the floor. Without even looking back at who was behind her, Isis let out another sigh. "Hey Thoth," she greeted as she lifted another scroll up to look through it's contents.

"Isis, I'll never stop being amazed at your abilities," Thoth said to her, a slight tone of amusement in his voice. Then, Thoth's expression turned into one of seriousness and professionalism. "Have you had any luck finding the scroll?" He asked Isis as she moved to look through another stack of scrolls off to her left. After hearing Thoth's question, Isis let out a slight growl.

"Does it looks like I have any?!" She snapped at the god. Her temper showing through as she slammed a lid back on the wooden case she was looking through. Thoth gave a sigh of his own before placing his hand on Isis's right shoulder.

"Sorry, Ra is just getting impatient," Thoth told her with a small amount of annoyance in his voice. "You know how his is," he added. Isis turned to face Thoth with a glare on her face before she swiveled back around and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I know," Isis muttered before running her hand through her long, sleek, black hair. Another sigh escaped her lips as she stood up to go check another shelf of scrolls. "Can you tell him I'm trying to find it as fast as I can?" She asked Thoth with a slight frown on her face. Thoth nodded before going to head back down the hallways.

"I can do that for you," Thoth said while opening the door. Before he walked out of the room, he stopped and turned back to Isis. "Thank you for doing this, Isis," he said to her with a soft smile on his face and gratitude in his tone of voice. Isis turned her head around and watched the god leave before she shook her head and turned back to her work.

Just when Isis was about to give up in her search for the scroll, a line case caught her attention. She moved towards it and pried the lid open. There inside of it was a lone scroll with the title 'Gates Of World' written across it. A smile broke out on the goddess's face and she picked up the scroll before studios the spell that was written on it.

She spent nearly two whole hours studying the spell and channeling her magic. Finally, just as she was rolling up the scroll, Thoth came back inside and watched her with a straight face. Isis waved to him in a quick manner before going back to roll up the papyrus scroll.

"Did you find it yet?" Thoth asked her as he eyed the goddess. Isis turned with the scroll in her hands and gave him a wide grin and then nodded. Thoth liked the look on her, it made it seem as if she did find what she was looking for.

"Yes!" Isis cries out as she launched herself forward to give Thoth a quick hug before turning to race out of the room. He black hair flowing behind her as she ran. "Tell the others to gather!" She called out to Thoth as she turned the corner and went out of sight of the god of wisdom. Thoth put his hands on his hips and then shook his head at Isis's reactions.

"Well, better go tell Ra," Thoth said before leaving the scroll room as well. Though he went down a different past than Isis. He was heading to Ra's personal chambers to tell him the good news. Thoth walked down the long, golden hallways, the sunlight streaming in, both lighting and warming the place.

He reached the double doors etched with the symbol of Ra. Thoth knocked on the door, his movements swift and sharp. Then, the god waited for permission to open the door and enter the room. Thoth strainer his hair and made sure he still had his scroll by his side.

"Come in," the voice of The Sun God echoed from behind the doors. Thoth presses his hands on the doors and they opened for him. Thoth walked over to where the king of the gods was sitting in a chair, staring out of the window next to it. "Has there been any progress with the spell, Thoth?" Ra asked as he turned his attention to the other god in the room. Ra had his hands folded in his hands and watched Thoth with a calculating stare in his golden eyes.

"Yes, Isis has found the spell and wants the gods to gather," Thoth told the king in a calm tone of voice. His face was straight and his eyes glanced around the room. Like the rest of the temple, it was golden, but there were rugs and tapestries everywhere. They depicted Ra and his kingdom.

"Good, send the message," Ra stated before taking a pause and thinking about what to say next. "We leave at sunset tomorrow," He declared before he waved his hand to dismiss Thoth and then turning back to his window gazing.

It was now settled and in motion - the gods of Egypt will go to Althira.


	2. CHAPTER ONE || ILLYAN

"Ugh!" I exclaimed in frustration as I threw my black haired head down into my lap. My older sister Naira let out a soft sigh as she sat across from me on the stone patio. "Why does magic have to be so hare to learn!" I cried out after lifting my head out of my lap and tipping it backwards, crying out into the sky.

Naira reached forward and took my small, pale hand in her own. I dropped my head to meet her gaze. My moss green eyes locked on her jade green ones. A small smile graced her features as looked at me. A soft breeze entered the courtyard and cooled us off from the slight heat. The wind brought the scent of the flowers closer as the sweet smell hit my senses.

Smelling the flowers and feeling the wind, sent my thoughts fluttering away. It wasn't until Naira squeezed my hand gently, that my thoughts to come back to the current moment. She offered me another smile while still grasping my hand.

"You need to be patient, Illyian. Only then will the magic will come to you," Naira said in a soft tone of voice. She then tugged on my hand in order to pull me up off of the ground. "Let us go inside and you can relax for a while," she said quietly while leading me back into our home.

I just simply let my older sister lead me through the doors and then into the foyer. Naira then let go of my hand and nodded towards the stairs that leads to the upstairs, bedrooms, and of course my room. She then began walking towards our mother's office.

"Mom said she needed me when we were done," Naira said to me before moving to go down the hallway. "You go relax, okay Illyan?" She called back to me from somewhere down the long halls that made up our main house.

A sigh escaped my lips as I turned away from the hall in which Naira disappeared down and walked up the grand, winding, staircase. The halls were a pale cream color with many paintings and tapestries adorning them. The air inside of the house was comfortable to say the least - not too hot or cold. A smell of clean laundry wafted from the down the hallways as I moved towards my bedroom so I could relax.

"Lady Illyan?" I heard a soft voice call out to me as I stopped to stair at a picture of my mother and a young Naira. I could see the look in my mother's forest green colored eyes - pure love. A smile graced my features as I stood there with my eyes locked onto it

"Milady?" The voice called out again, this time it was closer to me. I tore my attention away from the picture and turned to see a young maid standing behind me with her hands folded in front of her and very small smile on her face. Her eyes were a very pale gray color and she had a head of dark brown colored hair.

"Yes?" I said in a tone of voice that was struggling to sound confident and calm. My eyes locked on the maid standing in front of me. The maid then gave a quick curtsy before standing back up fully.

"Lady Irra wishes to see you in her study, Milady," the maid told me before standing as still as she could be with her pale gray eyes locked on the soft tiled floors in respect. 

"Alright, thank you," I told her as I turned to move towards my other sister's study. The maid gave me another quick curtsy before she continued on with her other duties. Following the plain colored, yet richly decorated halls, I made my way to Irra.

As I walked, my thoughts wandered to the war that was currently going on and just what my mom wanted to see Naira about earlier. I almost crashed into the door that lead into Irra's study because I was paying attention.

"That would've hurt," I muttered to myself as I forced my feet to stop moving. I lifted my right hand and knocked on the golden colored door. I waited outside for Irra to invite me inside with a curiosity as to what she wanted me for. Suddenly the door opened to reveal my sister Irra. Her sleek black hair tied up in a bun and her fern green eyes staring into my own.

"Ah! Illyan!" Irra exclaimed in excitement as she opened the door wider. A smile was on her face and a sparkle in her eyes as she moved to let me inside the room. I followed Irra into her study and moved towards the center of the room while Irra closed the door behind her. I stood there fiddling with a few strands of my hair as I waited for Irra to speak.

"So," she started to say before moving to sit down on a chair and motioned for me to do the same. As I sat down, my eyes flicked from the table to Irra and then to look out of the balcony glass double doors. "How's magic training going Illyan?" Irra asked me, causing my attention to shift from the window back to her. My eyes meeting hers, nervousness in mind and kindness were in hers.

I let out a sigh for what seemed like the thousandth time during that hour alone and then shook my head. "It's not going too well," I angrily mumbled out as I broke our gaze. 

Irra then stood up and walked over to a chest and pulled a hooded cloak and face covering. She then turned back to me with a mischievous grin on her face.

"How would like to go on a field trip?" She asked as she held up what she got from the chest. I immediately perked up as I rarely get to leave the manor. I heard Irra chuckles as she handed me a cloak and cover. I slipped it on and then a thought crossed my mind.

"How will we get past the guard," I asked her with a bit of deflation in my voice. Irra gave me another smile before putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't you worry about that, you just leave it all to me, okay?" Irra said as she finished putting on her disguise. I lifted my head ever so slightly and nodded before pulling the cloak overtop of my head and the face covering over my face and nose,

"Okay, Irra," I said to her as I smiled under the covering. Irra then walked over to the bookshelf sitting next to the window in the corner of the room. She then pressed on a decorative swirl on the top corner and the bookcase opened up to reveal a secret passage. It seemed to be well cleaned too, which wasn't something I would've expected.

Irra motioned for me to go through the hidden doorway with a smile on her face. I took a deep breath and then followed Irra's gesture and walked into and down the secret passageway. With Irra not too far behind me, we began to walk down the hall.

The passageway was quiet and cool with a scent of old musty rooms. The air was stiff and showed no breezes. Our footsteps echoed across the pale sandstone floors and bounced off of the sandy colored stone walls as we walked.

Finally we reached the end of the passage and saw a metal spiral staircase that lead downwards. Looking back at Irra with hesitation clear on my face, she noticed it and gave me a smile and a nod. I took another deep breath and then began moving down the staircase.

Seeing a door at the end of the stairs, my nerves began to melt away as I realized I was really leaving the manor - and for a fun trip instead of business! I practically ran down the rest of the stairs so I could fling open the door and feel free again. It took everything I had to continue walking down the stairs calmly and slowly.

After stepping off of the last step, I moved to the side to let Irra open the door for us. She slowly moved past me and then carefully poked the door open while giving a little peek to check for others. I guess no one walked by or was near, Irra opened the door and grabbed my hand. Irra pulled me out of the castle and we made our way through the gardens and left for the market place.

We walked down the stone pathways in an uncomfortable silence. I wasn't used to this with Irra and it made me very nervous. I could feel my heart begin to race before I inhaled deeply. The scent of the many flowers filled my nose as I did so and it would seemed that smell calmed me down somewhat. I turned to look up at Irra, the bright sun making me swung my eyes. Irra's face looked calm and yet she didn't say a word for a long while.

"Irra?" I asked as we began to cross a bridge leading into the nearest village market. Irra looked down at me and her face broke into a smile. "Is everything okay?" I added as I noticed she went back to a straight sort of face once more. Irra looked back down at me and then shook her head before placing the familiar mischievous grin on her face instead.

"Yeah, everything's great!" She exclaimed before grabbing my hand and began to run down the path, dragging me with her. "Come in then!" She cried as she let go of my hand and I ran on my own. I struggled to keep up with her pace, but I did an okay job I suppose.

The tops of beige colored stone buildings that made up the market came into view as we sped down the pathway. Picking up speed we rushed into the gateway and fell over onto the dusty ground. Our laughter rang throughout the valley that the village and market was sitting in. Many people looked over at us and shook their heads. Though they were mostly adults, the children just smiled and laughed with is.

"What do you want to see first sis?" Irra asked me as we stood up from the ground and wiped the dust from our clothes. I thought for a moment before my stomach let out a growl. Irra laughed once more while I blushed in embarrassment at myself.

"Food it is then," Irra laughed out as she led me around the sellers and towards one of the few cafes. We had large smiles plastered onto our faces as we walked by stands of food and trinkets. Our laughs still escaping our lips every once in a while as well.

as Irra and I entered the cafe, the smell of many different types of food hit my nose all at once. We stood by the hostess table with smiles still on our faces as we waited to be seated so we could eat.

Suddenly my stomach let out another growl and my blush came back as well. Irra laughed once more and than shook her head before her own stomach gave a growl of it's own.

"I guess we're both hungry, huh?" I laughed out as Irra blushed ever so slightly. Then she burst out laughing with me. We got some looks from other people, but truly, I didn't care one bit. I was having too much fun to care. It was then that the hostess came over and took us to our seats. Irra and I looked over the menus and each decided on our meals.

"Hello! I'm Aurelia and I'll be your waitress!" Our waitress asked as she came over to us. Her voice peppy and high pitched as she spoke. She pulled out a pen and notepad and then clicked the pen. "So, what can I get started for you guys?"

Irra took a glance at her menus before looking back at the waitress. The waitress's gray colored eyes locked with Irra's green ones before Aurelia offered Irra a small smile.

"I would like a tuna salad with water to drink," Irra said to her before she closed up her menu and handed it to Aurelia. She then turned towards me and offered me another smile before jotting down Irra's order.

"And for you?" Aurelia asked me after she finished. I looked at my menu again and then took a deep breath to calm my nerves before turning towards the waitress with a smile on my face.

"The roast beef dinner and water please," I told her while folding up my own menu and handing it to her. Aurelia nodded and took out menus from us before clicking her pen and placing it back in her apron pocket.

"I'll be right back with your drinks!" Aurelia said as she turned on her heel and walked away with our orders. Irra and I looked at each other and then smiled.

"Thanks, Irra," I started to say. My voice speaking in a whisper so no one else could hear me speak. This caught Irra's attention and she looked up at me with a smile. "For doing this for me."

"You're welcome, Illyan," Irra replied, her green eyes sparkling with love and happiness as she looked into my own eyes. Shortly after we got our drinks and food, so we ate quickly since we wanted to go back out and explore the market some more. Just as we left the cafe, we could see someone coming towards us that we recognized.

"Damn!" Irra cried out as she grabbed my hand and turned to pull me down an alleyway to get out of here. The person stopped just behind us and then grabbed Irra's other arm as well as my own.

"And what do you girls thinking you're doing?

Oh crap


	3. CHAPTER TWO | ILLYAN

Oh Crap

I stood there in the middle of the market with my back turned to the speaker. The voice harsh and commanding, yet soft. I knew immediately who it was without even turning around. I slowly turned around to face my sister Naira as she stood there with one hand on her hips and the other hanging at her side after she had removed her hands from our shoulders.

"N-Naira!" I stuttered out as I took in the angry look in her eyes and in her pale face. Naira narrowed her eyes before shaking her head and gestured for us to follow her.

"You know you aren't allowed out here without guard Illyan," Naira said as she led us back towards the manor. Her voice held a note of admonishment in it as she spoke. I hung my head as we walked along the stone paved pathway and over the bridge. I felt so guilty at sneaking out, but I have to admit, it was the most fun I've had in so many years.

"I-" I tried to speak my then I heard Naira hiss out at me and I held my tongue. Naira was a scary person when angered and I wouldn't want to mess with her in that state. I stared at my feet as we walked, the silence of Irra was unusual as she would normally be fighting with Naira about whatever the problem was. Though this time, Irra stayed quiet and that unserved me.

We finally reached the gates to the manor. Guards stood and both ends and when they saw Naira, they signaled to the tower to open the gates and let us inside. The old iron gates swung open with a groan and off inside we went. When we entered the manor, Irra and I took off our cloaks and face coverings before walking towards the foyer.

"Ilyan and Irra Evanoire!" I heard the booming voice of my father echo throughout the foyer. Looking up at the second floor balcony I noticed the tall man that was my father. He had black hair and moss green eyes like me, except he was a bit taller than I was. If you don't want to make Naira mad, then you do not want to make my father angry either.

"Father, I-" I started to say to him, but he cut me off with a growl. I immediately snapped my mouth shut and hung my head in guilt. Irra stared at the polished tile floors and didn't even move her head an inch when our father bellowed out her name.

"You two know that you need permission to leave the manor!" He boomed as he made his way down the curved, golden staircase. His footsteps echoed across the expansive room as he walked down the steps.

Fear and nervousness had begun to well up inside of me as I watched my angry father move down the staircase in a slow, nerve racking manner. I was terrified to say the least. Once he reached the bottom he crossed to stand in front of us. His eyes held anger and even a bit of fear as he stared us down. Irra kept her head tall and I held my head down - neither of us met his gaze though.

"Irra, how dare you take Illyan outside these walls without permission and without anyone guarding her?!" Father yelled as he turned to face Irra with his anger. Irra stood still and seemed to have been contemplating what to say next.

"I just thought that she needed a break from all of this seriousness for a change," Irra said in as calm and collected of a voice as she could muster up. Father just narrowed his eyes I reached back with his hand and then swung it at Irra. It hit her cheek with a loud smack as the impact sent Irra tumbling to the ground while clutching her cheek.

"You are never going stop making pathetic excuses are you?" Father sneered before turning towards me. His anger that was still seething inside of him, was clearly shown in his moss green colored eyes that matched mine so very well.

"Illyan!" He boomed before walking over to my and harshly grabbed my arm. I felt the fear rise up inside of me even more. I could feel my heart pounding and my skin began to sweat. I felt completely sick and scared and vulnerable.

"You are going to stay locked in your room all night!" He yelled at me as he dragged my up the stairs and down the halls to my room. He reached the door and pushed it open before tossing me inside.

"W-What about d-dinner?" I asked in a stuttering tone of voice as he turned to leave my room. My father turned back around and with a glare he stalked back over to me and slapped me across the face before I fell onto my bed.

"There isn't any for you!" He spat before he stomped his way out of my room and down the hallways away from my room. Still clutching my cheek, I shot up and went to check the door to see if it was locked. Low and behold, the door had been locked after all. With tears in my eyes I went to sit back down on my bed and curled up into a tight ball.

As I laid there, I kept thinking about why Irra was so quiet with Naira earlier. She usually has a temper and sharp tongue that's even better than my own. Yet, on our way back she never uttered a single word. It was very interesting and scary at the time.

After my cheek stopped hurting, I had moved to lay on my back and stared up at the skylights in my bedroom ceiling high above my head. A small smile on my lips as I could see the moon's faint day glow beaming down at me. The moon has always made me feel safe. After a few moments of staring at the moon, I slipped off of my bed and went over to my library area and began browsing through the many books.

Many hours had passed and I picked up a book, finished it, and then moved on to another. These books were short and only provided minimal distraction from my boredom that came with this solitude. As I had finished reading the last book on the shelf, I heard a knock on my bedroom door. Yet, I couldn't open it to let even see who it was, let alone let them inside.

"Illyan sweetie?" I heard the sweet and soft voice of my mom called out from behind the double wooden doors. I immediately jumped up and ran over to the door and pressed my ear against it to hear her better.

"Yes mom?" I asked her in a manner of attempted calm before frantically adding to my speech. "I can't open the door, father locked me in!" I called out through the doors. It was then that I heard the lock click as the doors were unlocked. I pulled open the doors to reveal my mom in her battle leathers and her black hair pinned up in a tight bun.

"I-Is everything alright mom?" I asked her as a slight stutter overtook my speech. I stared into her forest green eyes as she settled a calm, kind expression on her face. She took my hands and led me down the hallways back towards the staircase that lead into the foyer. We walked down the stairs and the sight I saw waiting for me was very nerve wracking.

Naira stood off to one side with her own battle leathers on. Her deep black hair was put into a single tight braid. Irra was waiting for me by the statue of Isis we had in the center of the foyer. Irra has two suitcases near her feet and one of them was my own plain black suitcase.

"W-What's going on?" I asked my mother as she led me over to Irra. My mom looked at Irra before looking back at me. She knelt down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before touching our noses together in affection.

"Everything will be fine Illyan," She said calmly before taking a glance towards the front door. She leaned down for a hug and then pulled back.

"You must leave with Irra, Illyan," She said with tears in her eyes. Her voice had begun to crack as she spoke. I could tell that this was a heart breaking moment for her and so I flung my arms around her neck and gave her another hug. Then curiosity and fear sparked inside of me.

"Why? Where will we go? How long will we be gone? What will happen to you?" The questions just spilled from my mouth as I opened it. I was scared about this, yet also a little curious for some reason. A loud bang then echoed throughout and my mom and Naira jumped up at the sound.

My mom nodded to my older sister who ran out of the foyer and out of the main doors. She then turned back to me with a small smile on her lips.

"I don't have the time to answer, just follow Irra, alright?" My mom said as moved to stand back up. She began to walk out of the room.

"I love you!" She called back over her shoulder. She paused a moment to look back at me and Irra. I saw her give a slight, sharp, nod to Irra before turning to walk away again.

"I-I love you too!" I shot out before she turned the door handle and left the house. She turned around, offered me a small, saddened smile and then walked right out the front door, which left me all alone with Irra.

Irra picked up her duffel bag and mine before handing me my own bag. I gave her a look of confusion as I never remember packing a bag, but I took it from her hands anyways.

After I sling the bag over my shoulders, we went out the back door and towards the back gardens. The sweet scent of flowers hit my nose as the evening wind blew my hair around and chilled my skin slightly. I closed my eyes and stood still for a brief moment before I felt Irra's hand grab mine and made me move on from the gardens.

Passing the gardens, we headed for the wooded trail that wound it's way all around our providence. I had no idea where we were going, but I knew one thing - I was definitely terrified. We weaved our way through trees and rocks as we walked through the woods. The smell of earth was thick and the air was pretty warm since the tall trees blocked out much of the wind's gusts. All I could see for miles and miles were tall stems of brown bark towering up to green colored canopies.

We made it to a clearing in the middle of the woods. There was a large rock formation at one side of the the clearing. The other had a tree with a hole cut into it. An iron gate stood as a barrier to the inside of a large cave. It looked dark and scary, I hoped we would not have to step foot near it let alone inside of it.

Yet, Irra led me right over to it. Irra walked over to the gate's pad lock and pulled a key out of her bag before sticking it in the lock. She turned the key and the gate swung open with a loud groaning sound. Irra then motioned for me to follow her inside. I followed my older sister with nervousness as we crossed the threshold into the cave.

Well, here I go!


End file.
